Auspicious fiscal closeout achieved through austerity

INDIANAPOLIS – Today, state officials presented the closeout report for Fiscal Year 2017. State Senator Karen Tallian (D-Portage), a member of the State Budget Committee and Ranking Minority Member on the Senate Appropriations Committee made the following comments:

“I am happy to see the healthy numbers reflected in the closeout report, presented today. This shows our revenue projection methods are accurate and reliable. However, I must once again voice my concern about our state’s reliance on reversions from agencies to achieve this surplus.

“In Fiscal Year 2017 Indiana state agencies reverted a total of $318 million to the state’s General Fund to grow the $1.7 billion surplus. This amount is the largest single-year reversion from agencies since the Great Recession.

“While often mandating agencies to hold back appropriations for their reversions, this money cannot be spent on the vital services that Hoosiers deserve.

“AARP just ranked Indiana in 51st place, dead last, for long-term care for our state’s seniors and disabled citizens. We are inadequately funding services for the opioid epidemic plaguing our state, regardless of the number of bills passed in the 2017 legislature. Further, our public schools continue to see meager increases in funding, while having to share that appropriation with an ever-expanding pool of voucher and virtual schools.

“The current fiscal integrity of our state is something to be applauded, I am just not sold that this is the way to achieve that goal.”

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Sen. Tallian represents Senate District 4 which encompasses portions of northern Porter County as well as portions of Michigan, Coolspring and New Durham townships in LaPorte County. For more information on Sen. Tallian, her legislative agenda or other State Senate business call 1-800-382-9467 or visit www.IN.gov/s4.